Preloaded torsion bar door hold-open device



M r h 5, 1969 J. H. MARCHIONE 3, 3

PRELOADED TORSION BAR DOOR HOLD-OPEN DEVICE Filed Aug. 11, 1966 P22 rlG INVENTOR. M Joseph H. Marchione Atty United States Patent Of US. Cl. 16-145 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A door hold-open device embodying a preloaded torsion bar mounted independently of the door hinges.

This application is entitled to the priority date of Nov. 27, 1965, when a provisional specification entitled Door Hold-Open Device was filed by the applicants assignee in England, said application describing a door hold-open device embodying a preloaded torsion bar mounted independently of the door hinges, as distinguished from previous constructions, wherein a torsion bar was mounted in a pre-loaded condition in one leaf of the hinge for a motor vehicle door and was adapted to cooperate with a striker member mounted in the other leaf to provide a hold-open action in the range of opening movement of the door.

In accordance with the present invention, the hold-open device preferably comprises a channel-shaped bracket for mounting on one of the relatively hinged parts of a door and door pillar assembly, a torsion bar mounted in the bracket in a preloaded condition and having a laterally extending radius arm on one end on which is provided a detent portion, a hold-open arm for pivotal mounting on one end on the other relatively hinged part to cooperate with the torsion bar in providing a door hold-open position, a striker on the hold-open arm adapted to engage the detent portion to define the hold-open position, and means on the hold-open arm, which, in the assembled position, guide the striker to engage the detent in the opening movement of the door. Preferably, the torsion bar has a laterally extending anchor radius arm which is engaged in a notch or aperture in the bracket, the detent being movable in an elongated slot in the bracket which maintains the torsion bar in a preloaded condition. Preferably, the striker comprises a serrated roller which displaces the detent as the door is swung to the open posi tion. Preferably, the radius arm carrying the detent is so arranged in angularity relative to the striker that a greater force is required for the striker to displace the detent in the closing direction of door movement than in the opening direction. Also, a second striker may be provided on the hold-open arm to give an intermediate hold-open position in addition to the fully opened holdopen position.

The hold-open arm is preferably pivoted on one of the hinged parts and is formed with an elongated slot whereby it is guided on the bracket, conveniently by means of a roller mounted on the anchor radius arm of the torsion bar.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of my improved hold-open device mounted independently of the hinges to act between a vehicle door and a door pillar, which are indicated in dot and dash lines, and

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the hold-open device.

The hold-open device comprises a channel-shaped bracket 10 adapted for mounting on the door 11 of a motor vehicle and a friction arm formed by a pivot blade or arm 12 arranged for pivotal mounting on a bracket 13 of a door pillar 14. A C-shaped torsion bar generally indicated at 15 is bent from high carbon steel round bar stock and has a central vertical section 16 mounted in bearings 17 in side walls 9 of the channel bracket 10 and at one end carries a laterally extending radius arm 18 on the end of which is formed a vertical detent 19. The detent is received in an elongated slot 20 in the bracket. At the other end of the central section of the torsion bar is provided a laterally extending anchor radius arm 21 which has a vertical end portion 22 extending through an aperture 23 in the bracket 10 and formed on one side with a groove 24 which engages the one edge of this aperture to locate the torsion bar against longitudinal movement with respect to the bracket 10. The torsion bar is mounted in a pre-loaded condition such as to urge the detent 19 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, against one end of the slot 20 as shown.

The pivot blade or arm 12 is generally flat and is pivoted on a vertical axis 25 substantially parallel to the door-hinge axis indicated at 26 and, as shown in full lines in FIGURE 1, extends between the side walls 9 of the bracket 10. The pivot blade 12 is termed with an elongated guide slot or guideway 27 which receives a flanged, sintered iron roller 28 mounted on the extremity of the stationary or fixed end portion 22 of the torsion bar anchor radius arm 21. The free end 29 of the pivot blade 12 is doubled back and carries a serrated roller 30 rotatably mounted thereon on a vertical axis by means of a peened rivet 31, the roller 30 being in horizontal alignment with the extremity of the detent 19 as seen in FIGURE 2.

In operation, on opening movement of the door 11 from the closed position shown in FIGURE 1 the roller 28 slides along the slot 27 and guides the pivot blade or arm 12, until near the fully open position the serrated roller 30 engages the torsion bar detent 19. As the door is moved to the fully open position, the detent 19 is displaced in its slot 20, against the preloading in the torsion bar until the serrated roller 30 rides past it to the hold-open position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1. In this position the detent 19 by virtue of the preloading in the torsion bar is deflected against spring pressure behind the roller 30 and provides a hold-open action. The roller 28 performs the dual function of guiding the pivot blade or arm 12 during opening movement of the door and of stabilizing the pivot blade as the hold-open position is engaged or disengaged. In the fully open door position the sintered iron roller 28 cooperates with the outer end 32 of the slot in the blade or arm 12 to define a door stop position, allowing only a predetermined amount of movement of the door in its hold-open position.

The parts are so arranged that a greater force is required by the serrated roller 30 to displace the detent 19 in the closing direction of movement than in the opening direction. The thrust on the torsion bar 16 incident to the roller 30 deflecting the detent 19 is in a direction toward the grooved side 24 of the anchor end 22, so that there is no danger of the torsion bar becoming disconnected from the bracket 10 at the groove 24.

If desired, a second serrated roller like that shown at 30 could be provided on the pivot blade or arm 12 to give an intermediate hold-open position.

The wavy spring washer 33 under the head of the rivet 31 frictionally resists rotation of the roller 30 so that it will not turn except when one of its scallops'or serrations is in mesh with the detent 19 in the door opening and clos ing movements. Hence, the same scallop or serration is used over and over again in successive door opening and closing operations.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good 3 understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a door hold-open comprising a bracket and a hold-open arm, one being attached to a door and the other being attached to a pillar on which the door is hingedly mounted on a substantially vertical axis, said bracket and arm being independent of the doors hinge means and being movable relative to one another in the opening and closing of the door, an elongated substantially vertical torsion bar disposed in transverse relationship to said arm and mounted on said bracket with a preload spring tension therein, the bar having laterally extending radius arms on its opposite ends, the first of which has a substantially vertical detent end portion on its outer end and the other having a substantially vertical anchor end portion on its outer end, the detent end portion being supported so as to maintain the preload spring tension but being movable relative to said bracket by deflection of said first mentioned radius arm in a direction to increase spring tension in said bar, and a striker mounted on and projecting from said hold-open arm so that it comes into engagement with the detent end portion to deflect said first-mentioned radius arm in the door opening and closing movement for a hold-open action.

2. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hold-open arm is pivoted at one end and has a guideway provided thereon longitudinally thereof in which a guide projection rigid with said bracket extends to guide said striker in a predetermined relationship to said detent in the door opening and closing movement.

3. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hold-open arm is pivoted at one end and has a guideway provided thereon longitudinally thereof in which the anchor end of said torsion bar engages whereby to guide said striker in a predetermined relationship to said detent in the door opening and closing movement.

4. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hold-open arm is pivoted at one end and has a guideway provided thereon longitudinally thereof in which a guide projection rigid with said bracket extends to guide said striker in a predetermined relationship to said detent in the door opening and closing movement, the radius arm of said torsion bar carrying the detent being disposed in a substantially vertical plane at such an angle in relation to the striker that a greater force is required to deflect said radius arm by engagement of the striker on the detent in a door closing direction than in a door opening direction.

5. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hold-open arm is pivoted at one end and has a guideway provided thereon longitudinally thereof in which the anchor end of said torsion bar engages whereby to guide said striker in -a predetermined relationship to said detent in the door opening and closing movement, the radius arm of said torsion bar carrying the detent being disposed in a substantially vertical plane at such an angle in relation to the striker that a greater force is required to deflect said radius arm by engagement of the striker on the detent in a door closing direction than in a door opening direction.

6. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hold-open arm is pivoted at one end and has a guideway provided thereon longitudinally thereof in which a guide projection rigid with said bracket extends to guide said striker in a predetermined relationship to said detent in the door opening and closing movement, one end of said guideway forming a stop for abutment with said guide projection to limit further opening movement of the door after deflection of the detent by said striker.

7. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hold-open arm is pivoted at one end and has a guideway provided thereon longitudinally thereof, in which the anchor end of said torsion bar engages whereby to guide said striker in a predetermined relationship to 4- said detent in the door opening and closing movement, one end of said guideway forming a stop for abutment with the anchor end of said torsion bar to limit further opening movement of the door after deflection of the detent by said striker.

8. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hold-open arm is pivoted at one end and has a guideway provided thereon longitudinally thereof in which a guide projection rigid with said bracket extends to guide said striker in a predetermined relationship to said detent in the door opening and closing movement, one end of said guideway forming a stop for abutment with said guide projection to limit further opening movement of the door after deflection of the detent by said striker, the stop being so located as to predetermine whether there is any freedom of movement of the door in the fully opened position and the extent thereof.

9. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hold-open arm is pivoted at one end and has a guideway provided thereon longitudinally thereof, in which the anchor end of said torsion bar engages whereby to guide said striker in a predetermined relationship to said detent in the door opening and closing movement, one end of said guideway forming a stop for abutment with the anchor end of said torsion bar to limit further opening movement of the door after deflection of the detent by said striker, the stop being so located as to predetermine whether there is any fredom of movement of the door in the fully opened position and the extent thereof.

10. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hold-open arm is pivoted at one end and has a guideway provided thereon longitudinally thereof in which the anchor end of said torsion bar engages whereby to guide said striker in a predetermined relationship to said detent in the door opening and closing movement, the anchor end of said torsion bar having a groove provided in one side thereof receiving an edge portion of the bracket to lock said anchor end relative to said bracket, the anchor end in coming into abutment with the stop approaching the stop in a direction approximately parallel to the groove and hence substantially at right angles to the direction of disengagement of the grooved end of said torsion bar relative to said bracket so that there is no likelihood of disengagement of the bracket from the groove.

11. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hold-open arm is pivoted at one end and has a guideway provided thereon longitudinally thereof in which the anchor end of said torsion bar engages whereby to guide said striker in a predetermined relationship to said detent in the door opening and closing movement, a roller being mounted on the anchor end of said torsion bar for antifriction opeartion in the guideway on said hold-open arm.

12. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hold-open arm is pivoted at one end and has a guideway provided thereon longitudinally thereof, in which the anchor end of said torsion bar engages whereby to guide said striker in a predetermined relationship to said detent in the door opening and closing movement, one end of said guideway forming a stop for abutment with the anchor end of said torsion bar to limit further opening movement of the door after deflection of the detent by said striker, a roller being mounted on the anchor end of said torsion bar for anti-friction operation in the guideway on said hold-open arm.

13. In a door hold-open comprising a bracket and a hold-open link, one being attached to a door and the other being atached to a pillar on which the door is hingedly mounted on a substantially vertical axis, the link being pivotally attached on a substantially vertical axis, said bracket and link being independent of the hinge means and being movable relative to one another in the opening and closing of the door, said bracket being channel-shaped and having vertically spaced substantially horizontal top and bottom walls, an elongated substantially vertical torsion bar mounted at its opposite ends in said walls with a preload spring tension therein, the bar having laterally extending radius arms on its opposite ends, the first of which has a substantially vertical detent end portion on its outer end and the other having a substantially vertical anchor end potrion on its outer end, the detent end being supported so as to maintain preload spring tension but being movable relative to said bracket by deflection of said arm in a direction to increase spring tension in said bar, the link being disposed substantially horizontally between the top and bottom walls of the bracket and having a slot provided therein longitudinally thereof in which the anchor end portion of said bar is received as a guide, and a striker mounted on and projecting from said link so that it comes into engagement with the detent end of said bar to deflect said first mentioned radius arm in the door opening and closing movement for a hold-open action.

14. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 13 wherein the radius arm of said torsion bar carrying the detent is disposed in a substantially vertical plane at such an angle in relation to the striker that a greater force is required to deflect said radius arm by engagement of the striker on the detent in a door closing direction than in a door opening direction.

15. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 13 wherein the slot in said link provides at its outer end a stop for abutment with the anchor end of said torsion bar to limit further opening movement of the door after deflection of the detent by said striker.

16. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 13 wherein the slot in said link provides at its outer end a stop for abutment with the anchor end of said torsion bar to limit further opening movement of the door after deflection of the detent by said striker, the stop being so located as to predetermine whether there is any fredom of movement of the door in the fully opened position and the extent thereof.

17. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 13 wherein the anchor end of the torsion bar has a groove provided in one side thereof receiving an edge portion of a wall of said bracket to lock said anchor end relative to said bracket, the anchor end in coming into abutment with the stop approaching the stop in a direction approximately parallel to the groove and hence substantially at right angles to the direction of disengagement of the groove end of said torsion bar relative to said bracket so that there is no likelihood of disengagement of the bracket from the groove.

18. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 13 including a roller mounted on the anchor end of said torsion bar for anti-fricti0n operation in the slot in said hold-open lock.

19. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 13 including a roller mounted on the anchor end of said torsion bar for anti-friction opeartion in the slot in said hold-open lock, the outer end of said slot serving as a stop to limit door opening movement by abutment with said roller.

20. A door hold-open as set forth in claim 13 including a roller mounted on the anchor end of said torsion bar for anti-friction operation in the slot in said hold-open lock, the outer end of said slot serving as a stop to limit door opening movement by abutment with said roller, the stop being so located as to predetermine whether there is any freedom of movement of the door in the fully opened position and the extent thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,693,616 11/1954 Cromwell et a1. 16--85 3,070,829 1/1963 'Pras 16-85 3,370,317 2/1968 Marchione "16-139 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

D. L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

